


Punch-Drunk Love

by winterwaters



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drunk Gendry, Drunk Ned, F/M, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-11
Updated: 2013-08-11
Packaged: 2017-12-23 04:22:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/921933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterwaters/pseuds/winterwaters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the prompt: "Gendry and Ned Stark get drunk and dad threatens him, gives him "the talk," relationship/love/sex? advice, such and such. And Arya watching all the hilarity unravel."</p><p>Borrowed the title from the movie, but otherwise unrelated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Punch-Drunk Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NYC Sidewalk](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=NYC+Sidewalk).



> this was incredibly fun, thanks for the great prompt! I really hope you enjoy it :)

Arya hadn’t heard from Gendry all evening, and she was starting to worry. So despite having promised herself that she wouldn’t stop by, she picked up a cherry pie from his favorite bakery and headed to his place.

Gendry was meeting her father tonight. Not long ago, her parents had dropped in for a surprise visit, only to find her fast asleep on Gendry’s lap in the living room. Though her mum and dad were decent enough not to say anything at the time, she knew her father had been trying to find the time to finally have “the talk” with him. She suspected her mother had quite a bit to do with that as well.

So when her father had called a few weeks ago, this time warning her well in advance that he was planning on taking a trip down to her area for the weekend, she knew there was a hidden agenda. Sure enough, he all-too-casually added that he would prefer to have some time to speak with “her young man.” Whether he knew it or not, the statement had Arya blushing furiously for days.

She’d passed on the message to Gendry, who had paled but otherwise agreed without much protest. Only this morning had he shown any true signs of nervousness, drinking more coffee than usual and being utterly distracted at the garage. Arya had never seen him drop so many tools at once. She hated putting him through any of this, but a large part of her really wanted him to get along with her father. Alongside Jon, her father was her favorite person. And Gendry was quickly becoming important to her also - more quickly than she would admit. Arya couldn’t help but hope her favorite people could find a way to get along.

Reaching Gendry’s building, she saw his car parked down the block and knew he was home. Letting herself in the main door, she took the stairs quickly to his place, rapping her knuckles against his door. Moments later, she heard heavy footsteps and then the door was flung open to a reveal a very happy, flush-faced Gendry.

“Arya!” He practically yelled, spreading his arms wide for a hug. More than a little shocked, Arya didn’t move. Gendry didn’t seem offended in the least. He only laughed and swept her up in a hug anyways, nearly lifting her off her feet before pulling her into the apartment.

“Look! It’s Arya,” he exclaimed again, and Arya nearly fell over at the sight of her father sitting on one of Gendry’s barstools, looking equally at ease.

“Arya, darling,” her father smiled, also appearing far too jovial for her liking. “So glad you could join us.”

Setting down her box, she put her hands on her hips and studied them both. “What the hell is going on?”

“Whaddya mean?” Gendry was still smiling stupidly.

Arya’s eyebrows nearly lifted off her head. “I mean, what is … _this_?” Her hands waved in the general direction of him and her father, who both only grinned back.

“We’re having a drink.” Gendry held up his empty glass emphatically. “Want to join us?”

Wide-eyed, Arya looked around before marching to his trash can and uncovering the lid. Groaning, she eyed the many empty bottles already deposited inside.

“God. How much have you had?”

“Not much.” Gendry shrugged and looked at her father, who nodded in agreement. 

“Very little, dear. Your young man here is an excellent judge of drink.” 

Arya ignored the flush brought on by his phrase, focusing instead on another bottle now in the sink. “God, Gendry. Whiskey?”

“I got nervous,” he said sheepishly. “I may have taken a few shots … just to calm the nerves before your dad arrived. Turns out it’s one of his favorites, so he asked for some. He’s a great guy!”

Arya bit her lip, doing her best not to burst into laughter on the spot. “Yes, he is,” she agreed as solemnly as possible.

Gendry smiled happily and began to refill his drink, and Arya decided maybe they’d had enough for a night. “Hey hey, hold on there. Don’t I get some?” She grinned and took the bottle from him, hoping her reputation for an iron stomach would hold true tonight.

As she poured her own drink, her father waved a hand at Gendry. “I haven’t finished talking to you yet.” Arya only caught the slight slur in his speech because she was straining her ears for it.

Gendry slapped the counter. “Of course! Go on, sir.” 

“What exactly are your intentions with my baby girl?”

Arya covered her face with a groan, wanting to leave and yet afraid to at the same time. When she looked up, though, Gendry’s face was drawn in thought - he seemed to be taking her father’s question quite seriously.

“I guess … my intentions are for her to be happy, and I would like to be the one to make her as happy as possible,” he finally answered honestly, and Arya made a mental note to kiss the daylights out of him as soon as her father was gone.

“That is undeniably comforting to hear,” her dad replied. “But you understand she’s still very young? I don’t know exactly what you think is going to happen-“

“Dad,” she warned, but he didn’t stop. 

“Because if you have expectations-“

 _”Dad!_ ” Arya’s mortified yell cut him off. 

“What?” He protested. “Sweetling, I’m just looking out for you,” he said with a pout. 

“Yes, daddy, I know,” she tried to reply more gently. “But Gendry is a good guy. You don’t have to worry about … well, any of _that._ ” Her face was very red at the moment, as was Gendry’s. 

“Very well.” Her dad still looked a bit put off. “So are you definitely her boyfriend, then?” The question was directed at Gendry, whose blue eyes widened and landed on Arya before he smiled rather sweetly.

“I hope so. But it’s up to her, really.”

Both men turned to look at her expectantly, and Arya took another swig of her drink, stalling. “Yes,” she finally said, and Gendry’s face lit up brighter than the lights on her Christmas tree. “He is,” she whispered again, mostly to herself.

Triumphantly, he turned to her dad. “There you have it. I most certainly _am_ her boyfriend.” 

Arya couldn’t hide her smile at the unabashed glee in his voice, absurdly proud that she was the cause of it. Gulping down more of her drink, she cautiously turned to her father.

“So dad, how was-”

He held up a finger, waving it accusingly. “Now now, don’t try to change the subject. I’m not done.”

“What could you possibly have left to say?” Arya asked in exasperation. She would have protested more, except Gendry’s arm was suddenly around her shoulders, squeezing her close as he kissed her on the cheek. 

“It’s no problem. Ask away,” he responded cheerily, to which her father raised an eyebrow at her smugly, as if to say, “Told you so.”

Arya did her best not to knock her head against the wall, instead deciding that more drinking was definitely in order. After refilling her glass, she took a seat in the comfy chair, which she’d taken to calling “hers” a while ago, curling her feet under her as Gendry perched on the armrest. 

Her father eyed them both carefully. “So. You said you’ve taken up engineering, have you?”

“Yes, sir. I’ve been working at a garage since I was young, with my step-father.” Gendry shrugged. “I got interested in the mechanics of things and he suggested this would be a good step.”

“And you plan to keep working with him after you’re done with school?”

“I’m not sure yet. I do know I’d like to travel, plus I think I need another degree if I want to do anything further.” Gendry’s attention was suddenly diverted by the box on the table. “Is that what I think it is?” He turned to Arya with a bright grin.

“Open it and see,” she replied, willing her lips not to twitch.

Gendry eagerly reached for the box, opening it with a delighted whoop. “I knew it!” He showed it to her father proudly, as if it was a trophy. “Cherry pie. My favorite.” 

Her father merely raised an eyebrow at her as she tried to sink further into the chair’s cushions. “You brought him pie.”

“She brought me pie,” Gendry confirmed, planting a kiss on her cheek before heading to the kitchen. “Who wants some?”

Her father was still eyeing her in amusement, so Arya called back, “Bring a piece for all of us.” Then she raised her own eyebrows in a challenge. “What?”

Her dad began laughing to himself, a deep rumble that started in his chest and became louder by the moment. Arya was tempted to pick up one of the cushions and throw it at him, but then it occurred to her that she was far too used to doing that with Gendry (whose only response was to laugh and kiss her).

“You really do like him, don’t you,” came her father’s quiet murmur. Arya blinked, feeling her face reddening, but nodded. 

“And the age gap doesn’t bother you?”

“He’s a better man than all the twits my age,” Arya responded honestly, without hesitation, and her dad grinned again.

“Can’t argue with that, now can I?” 

Arya sat up cautiously. “You mean that?”

Then Gendry came back in, juggling three plates of pie. Handing one to her father, he came to sit back on the armrest, and she tried not to laugh at how generous a slice he’d cut for himself. 

Her father took a bite and his eyes widened. “You know, this is quite good.”

“Best in town,” Gendry mumbled around his full mouth.

The room was blissfully silent for a few moments as they all munched on the dessert. Then Arya noticed Gendry’s head drooping as the liquor and food began to hit him all at once, and she decided it was time to wrap things up.

“Dad, I think you’ve asked enough questions for now, right?” She asked pointedly.

He grinned, purposely chewing slowly as his face scrunched in mock thought. 

“It’s fine, really,” Gendry said, or started to say, before a huge yawn broke into his words.

Her father chuckled and stood, coming over to clap Gendry on the shoulder. “You’ll do,” he said after a moment, and Arya sighed in relief. She stood up, intending to see her dad back, but he waved her off. “I’ll be fine. Jon wanted to take me out for a bite anyways, and we never did really get around to eating.” 

He nodded at Gendry, who was practically nodding off where he sat. “I think he might need your help, though.”

Arya bit her lip and grinned before flinging her arms around her father in a tight hug. “Thank you,” she whispered in his ear, and she felt him nod before letting go. Then his phone buzzed and he held it up to show her. “Jon’s come to get me. Told you.” 

Arya grinned and walked him downstairs, waving at Jon gratefully and watching as they walked off together. When she came back upstairs, she found Gendry had slid down onto the chair in her spot, almost fast asleep. Muffling her laugh, she tugged at his hand until he cracked an eye open.

“Come on. You’ve got a perfectly good bed in the other room,” she said firmly. When he resisted, she added, “Your back will kill you in the morning if you stay here. Remember last time?”

With a groan, Gendry heaved himself to his feet, pouting like a small child as he let Arya lead him into the bedroom. Almost immediately, he collapsed on the bed, happily clutching the pillow as sleep overtook him. He was snoring within minutes.

Arya shook her head, exasperated but unable to stop her grin. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and went back to the living room, putting plates and cups in the dishwasher for the next day. When things were moderately clean, she grabbed her bag and peeked in on Gendry, satisfied that he would be fast asleep well into the morning. Though every part of her wanted to stay with him, she knew her father would return to their house eventually, and she had to be there when he did.

Quietly, she closed the bedroom door and then crept out of the apartment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Arya woke earlier than usual, lying in bed for some time in debate about whether to sneak out. Her dad’s snores rang out through the house, making her decision easier. She slipped out long before the others would wake, heading over to Gendry’s. Opening his door, she saw the apartment in the same state she’d left it. Gendry was sprawled on his bed, his face pressed into the pillow. 

Arya sat on the bed next to him, combing her fingers through his short hair and smiling when he shifted, mumbling her name. “Good morning, sleepyhead.” 

He rolled over, finally opening his blue eyes sleepily. “Arya?”

“Expecting someone else?”

“Shut up,” he replied drowsily, and she laughed.

“Sounds like _someone_ had quite an eventful night.” Arya raised an eyebrow, daring him to refute her words.

Gendry’s face scrunched for a moment before he sat up abruptly, nearly knocking their heads together in the process. Then he clutched his head - in pain or disbelief, Arya couldn’t tell. “Good god. Did that really happen?”

She nodded. “You know, I never expected to find my boyfriend getting my father drunk.” 

Blue eyes narrowed at her. “He was not drunk. He was only tipsy. _I_ was drunk.”

“Yes, you were,” Arya agreed with a laugh.

Gendry hung his head. “I’m so sorry, Arya. I really screwed this up, didn’t I?”

He sounded so sad that she couldn’t toy with him like she normally would have. Instead, she cupped his cheek gently. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” She let out an exaggerated sigh. “It seems only _you_ could somehow get my father drunk and still win him over at the same time.”

Now Gendry lifted his head to look at her in surprise. “What?”

Arya grinned. “I believe he approved.” 

“How is that even possible?” 

“I really have no idea.” Her shoulders shook with laughter, and after a minute Gendry joined in, pulling her against him.

“God,” he caught his breath. “I still can’t believe I did that, though.”

“Me neither.”

“I was just so nervous …” he trailed off and Arya looked up curiously.

“About that. What happened all of a sudden? You were fine until yesterday.”

“Well, it’s your father. I know his opinion matters to you, and… I just wanted him to know I mean to do right by you.” 

Arya smiled and leaned up to kiss him soundly. “I think he got the message. Somehow.” 

“Good.” He rested his head atop hers. “So I’m guessing everyone’s still asleep at your place?” 

She hummed in agreement. “I was thinking … it wouldn’t be the worst idea if you dropped by for breakfast. Preferably with lots of coffee.”

“It’s the least I can do. As your _boyfriend_ ,” he tacked on happily, and Arya knew he remembered the previous night all too clearly. But she didn’t try to correct him, and this time when he kissed her, she could feel his smile all the way to her toes.

**Author's Note:**

> I realize Ned didn't really "threaten" Gendry or anything, but once I started writing it kinda got away from me. hopefully you still liked it!


End file.
